Hundreds of protesters descended in downtown Dallas to protest SB4, the controversial Texas immigration law that allows law enforcement to arrest people on suspicion that they are in the country illegally. The law also allows judges to forcefully deport them.

Over 200 protesters marched around downtown Dallas on Sunday, calling to end the controversial Texas immigration law that organizers are saying would pose a threat to migrants and the Hispanic community all over the state as law enforcement could arrest people on suspicion alone.

"The unconstitutional law is one of the most extreme pieces of anti-immigrant legislation any state legislature has ever enacted," Tony Rodriguez, chair of the Brown Berets of DFW, told NBC Dallas Fort-Worth. Critics say that SB4 could lead to US citizens getting deported to Mexico.

"Basically, it gives them a free hand to just racially discriminate," added Xavier Velasquez, President of La Frontera Nos Cruzo, noting the racial ramifications it could have on the Latino community. "They can see a brown person and say oh, I think you're here illegally, and detain you."

"Getting the people out and showing that we're not happy, and somebody's going to listen to us," the protest organizer Velasquez added. He warned that the policy would put the Hispanic community in North Texas at risk, aiming to get leaders in both the Dallas City Hall and the rest of Texas to notice.

The protests are happening as the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is set to rule whether or not the controversial Texas immigration law that critics call the "Show Us Your Papers" law could take effect after the Republican-controlled state congress passed it.

Mexico Warns That Controversial Texas Immigration Law SB4 Could Lead to More Discrimination

It is not just the Hispanic community and the federal government that is against SB4, but also the Mexican government. The country has recently filed a court brief supporting the US DOJ's effort to oppose the controversial Texas immigration law.

"Mexico is deeply concerned that SB4 will be applied in a discriminatory manner and fears that its enforcement will lead to improper harassment, detention, removal, and criminalization of Mexican citizens and individuals of Latino appearance," the filing from Mexico read.

According to Reuters, the Biden administration has stated that the actions from the Texas government under Greg Abbott have interfered with immigration enforcement. SB4 is said to further interfere with that as the state may arrest some asylum seekers who are in the country legally.

What is the Texas Immigration Law, SB4?

Senate Bill 4, or SB4 for short, allows law enforcement agencies to enforce immigration law. This means that Texas authorities get the power to arrest individuals on suspicion that they are in the state illegally in the name of preventing what they call an "invasion."

Those arrested are then brought before a judge and given two choices: leave the country voluntarily or get jailed for a misdemeanor and then forcefully deported to Mexico.

However, opponents state that the law violates the Constitution as immigration enforcement is not the job of the state government, but the US federal government. Arizona previously tried its own version of this, only to be rejected by a conservative Supreme Court, per NPR.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Hundreds gather in Dallas to protest SB4 - CBS Texas